Everything you need to know about how to do Drag Queen makeup, all the essentials you need, and a few insider tips & tricks!
We can say drag makeup requires a professional level of skill, but it's not impossible to achieve it "at home." It will take time, but if you feel motivated and frisky, why not give it an honest try? 💁♂️ You are certainly already thinking outside the box if you are considering drag makeup, which is the right path to follow! 🤩
There are many steps to be done, so arm yourself with patience, and we'll provide the ammo… I mean the knowledge.
Drag & makeup
With its gender-bending themes, drag has a pretty provocative past. Drag Queens had different answers to gender-rigid questions. And perhaps most importantly, they had fun with it. Society, as we have it today, would be way duller without the influence of this wonderful community. 💜 So much of that influence we can see on faces all around us, especially over the last decade. Drag makeup brought us many beloved trends so that we can look like our best selves.
As drag queen history unfolded, makeup stayed front and center. It started as a necessity and faced many challenges. Not only did makeup supposed to alter masculine features into a soft feminine look, but it also needed to be seen from the theatre's back row. 🧐 It was essential for makeup to stay all night under hot, bright lights. These challenges made drag makeup strong and solid, almost indestructible.
Supplies You Need for Drag Makeup
A big quest asks for good preparation. You cannot climb Mount Everest with just a bottle of water around your waist. So, before you dig in, here is the checklist -
Products:
Glue for your eyebrows ✔
Loose powder ✔
Face primer ✔
Liquid foundation ✔
Liquid highlighter ✔
Concealer of choice ✔
Creamy or liquid contouring product (or a darker foundation or concealer)✔
Eyebrow product of choice (shaping pomade or eyebrow pencil) ✔
Eyeshadow primer ✔
Eyeshadows of your choice ✔
Liquid eyeliner ✔
Mascara ✔
Blush ✔
Bronzer and/or highlighter ✔
A powerful setting spray ✔
Lip liner ✔
Lipstick ✔
Tools:
False lashes and lash adhesive ✔
Makeup Sponge(s) ✔
Brushes (foundation brush, contour brush, fan brush, powder brush, fine thin brush, and some eyeshadow blending brushes) ✔
Step-by-step facial drag transformation
#1 Prep Your Skin
Do you know how paint needs water to sit well on canvas? Your makeup will also need moisturized skin to sit well. It will also serve as a protection from makeup chemicals. Be patient and wait for your moisturizer to fully sink into your skin and dry. Applying primer (and patiently waiting for it to dry as well) is a must-do follow-up step. Oh, and to look good, makeup likes smooth skin, so grab whichever hair removal tool you prefer and eliminate any unwanted hairs. 👌
#2 Cover Your Brows
Yes, brows are facial hair, but you do not have to shave them off, although you can if you like. Use brow glue or a regular paper glue stick to cover up brows. Give it a swipe in the direction of the hair, come through to tame them, and remove any excess glue. Give some time to dry, and repeat twice to flatten those eyebrows completely. Ensure they stay in place by dusting on some loose powder as a final step.
#3 Apply the Foundation
Again - do not commit a crime and avoid to prime. ☝ It will make your foundation easier to apply and longer to last. Is there anything more you can ask for? Apply primer all over your face, skip the brows, and feel free to lower it along the neck.
Be generous with the foundation and buff the product into the skin with a brush, sponge, or both! Use a brush to spread it evenly, then bounce it with the sponge to get in every pore. Remember to dab the product up to your ears and temples (as that can be a dead giveaway!) and down your neck – to match perfectly.
#4 Highlight and Conceal
After flawless foundation application, the face looks flat and simply needs dimension. Highlighter is the thing you need. In drag makeup, you can use a liquid highlighter the same way you'd use concealer in everyday makeup - under the eyes and around your t-zone. This way, you bring the light and focus to the center of your face, which is always flattering. Remember that highlighter accents facial features, so do not put too much on the forehead if it's already dominant; just a little. If you can't decide where to apply highlighter, these are the safe spots for beginners:
Apples of the cheeks
Below the eyebrows
Inner corners of the eye
Bridge of nose
Lower chin
Cupid's bow
Start slow with a cute natural shade highlighter, but give yourself a high-octane highlighter experience at least once; we promise you'll love it.
If any imperfections show through all that foundation, use a concealer shade that matches your skin tone to cover them. 😉
#5 Chisel Out Your Face
Black is slimming, they say. So, let's chisel that face. In the makeup world, black is a color a few shades darker than your foundation. ☝ Feel free to use a darker foundation shade if you have it on your hands, or use a contouring palette.
Start with finding your cheekbones by sucking in cheeks fish style, and spread your contour product downward below the cheekbones. If you're in an extra mood, drag the contour line far down toward the lower part of the face as experienced Drag Queens do, knowing a bit more shade will give those cheekbones more emphasis. 😉
Like highlighter but completely opposite – look for natural face shadows and apply contour product.
Give yourself a thinner neck by placing the product right under the jawline and chin. Adding a small amount below the lip will make them appear poutier and bigger. And you can almost fake a nose job when you apply contour on the sides of the nose with a thin brush. If you need to make your nose shorter, get a dab to the underside of the nose.
You can fix your forehead too. Wherever you feel is too much forehead, give it a bit of shade and make it pretty. If you want a nice circular, let's say, feminine forehead hide those square angles in a contour color. It's easier to add little by little than to remove the product, but if it seems you went overboard with contour, you can blend it out by adding more foundation.
Contour is a staple in drag makeup as it allows you to play with shadows and proportions however you prefer. It's a brilliant optical illusion tool. This is where the drama happens.
#6 Pop On the Brows
Now you got your base, it's time to bring the brows back. They frame your face and can add something extra to your expression, so give yourself time for all those lines. The first two lines should be an outline of the brows. The general rule is to follow your natural brow shape but try to add emphasis to the arch and see how it lifts not just the eye but the whole face. Once the outline is there, start filling it in by drawing hair lines. Try not to have too many lines in for a more dramatic look. Carve out your beautiful work by applying concealer under and above your brows and blending it in.
And here's the secret – use a thin brush for drawing lines. This creates a wonderful hair-like deception, and a variety of colors is there for you to choose from.
You can use a shaping eyebrow pomade or opt-in for a perfectionist's favorite – the eyebrow tool designed especially for working on eyebrows. The safe way is to choose a color close to or the same as your hair color. But on those days when we don't feel like ourselves, wouldn't it be fun to have a strong black Italian brow to stand against a blonde wig? Exactly. 😎
#7 Apply Your Drag Queen Eye Makeup
Most drag queens find the eye look to be the most creative, expressive, and striking part of makeup. You can make any eye look you want (hopefully a dramatic one!), so let us tell you how.
Good preparation will pay off, and the first step we recommend is putting an eyeshadow primer on your lids. It needs a few moments to sink, you'll know when it feels tacky, and then you set the primer with just a little loose powder. It will make your eyeshadow stay longer and blend better. While you're in with the loose powder, add a generous amount under your eyes to protect the area from eyeshadow fallout, which you'll simply sweep away when you're done.
Now you are ready for some colors! 🌈 The first one is the transition shade. The safe and easy choice is to go with a darker shade than your skin, but any color you like will do just fine. Apply the eyeshadow in the crease with a fluffy blending brush and disperse it with windshield wiper motions. Now, these monochrome eyes need dimension. Have a lighter color, even white, placed in the inner corners and right below the brow to accentuate the brow bone. Your darkest shadow should go on the outer portion of the crease so it defines the eye shape. This is a basic and complete eye look. You got it all. Want more?
Cutting the crease can make your eye look very prominent, which is why many drag queens love it. Add some concealer where you'd like your shadow to be more noticeable. It's usually the inner portion and center of the lid. No need to set the concealer, just give it a couple of moments to dry, and you may apply shadow to cut that crease. If you are in a dilemma, please remember that Divine's bold cut-crease blue shadow and long lashes were immortalized by one of Disney's best villains – Ursula. No room to be shy, just fabulous! ✨
Eyes are doors to our soul, and entrance sparkles are a good idea. Shimmer has a place in almost every queen's heart and makeup kit. All-over lid glitter or just in inner corners can make the whole look more glamorous and deadly gorgeous!
#8 Wing Out Your Liner.
Let's fly! Nobody needs angels' wings when you can have any you like. Extra thick, dramatic wings can be seen often among Drag Queens, and we enjoy admitting – it delivers a lot of attitude, doesn't it?
The wing line should start from the area closest to the lash line to the outer corner and beyond. Make sure to have the line slightly upturned towards your brow to make it wingy looking. Have the line go over the whole lash line. And to finish, connect it with the highest part of your eyeliner, fill in that triangle, and voilà – your wings will carry you to your destination.
#9 Finish the Lashes
To add an extra dimension to the eye look, smudge out your lower lash line with some shadow on your lower lashes. Add a coat or, better, two coats of mascara. Tip: tilt your head when coating lashes – tilt back when doing upper lashes and down for the bottom ones.
#10 Add Falsies
Dealing with false lashes may feel like a spider fight, but practice makes it perfect. Don't just go in and glue them on your eyes. First, give them a little trim so they fit perfectly. Then opt for one of the application methods:
Good ol' glue: apply a tiny amount of adhesive and shake it like a polaroid picture. It will dry the adhesive and make the lashes stick to the lid easier.
Eyeliner glue: A gift from the gods – an eyeliner that doubles as eyelash adhesive! Apply this eyeliner glue just like your regular eyeliner, and then just press on the lashes like you usually would. Presto!
Magnetic lashes: This is a game changer. No stickiness and no fuss – you put on magnetic eyeliner and just snap your magnetic lashes on. Super easy, secure, and beginner-friendly!
Now, the recommendation is to place your eyelashes with a slight angle rather than straight on, as it looks more flattering and won't make your eyes droopy. Finally, adding one more mascara coat will bring the final drama touch every queen needs!
#11 Powder the Face
The liquids are applied, and now it's powder time. The apples of your cheeks should be the center of the blush, and you may give it a sweep across the cheek.
Don't be stingy with the blush - remember that it brings youth to your face. 😊
It would be a shame if all that makeup ran down your face after the first sweat, but no worries – baking is a thing. When you "bake" makeup, let the loose powder sit on your face for 5–10 minutes. The heat from your face sets or "bakes" your foundation and concealer during that time. After that, your makeup will be sealed, and you won't have to wonder if anything is slicking.
#12 Choose a Lip Color
You'll need clean lips to apply some color, so wipe off any foundation or powder residue. Outline your lips with a lip liner. If you are not blessed with full lips, this is the moment to cheat. Many queens enjoy overlining, especially in the cupid's bow area, to create larger-looking lips. Beginner's tip - start on the outer edge of your lips and draw inward. Fill in line with your favorite lipstick. For a complete look, a gloss is a must. Add a layer and focus the product on the middle of the lips. This covers the basics of lip art and delivers a standard confident look.
#13 Set the Face
You want that hard work to pay off for as long as possible, so use setting spray to lock in all products together and into your skin for the makeup's longevity. Spray your face from your arm's length all over, and be patient for it to completely dry before you touch anything!
Dragička's Tips & Secrets
1. Blend the Extra Mile
Never enough blending! Makeup will always look like makeup, but it will hang together better if you really take the time to blend all those layers. Our advice is to add a bit of setting spray between blending layers, so it melts together better in the end. Make sure there are no naked parts, and blend those layers well down the neck.
2. Be Cautious with Glitter
Glitter is a loud and restless friend, and it can easily overflow into unwanted areas. To prevent chaos, move slowly and surely when applying glitter to eyelids or cheeks. Powder under your eyes can shield the undereye area from glitter fallouts, as you can swipe it off when done with the eye look.
3. Tape Your Face
Many makeup looks got ruined at the very end, as making a straight eyeliner wing line is not an easy task. Help yourself with a piece of tape as a stencil for drawing a crisp, angled line on your eyes.
4. Take it All Off
When the party is over, the only thing left to do is take it all off. We cannot stress enough how important this is – always take your makeup off before you go to bed.
You are dealing with all kinds of liquid and powder formulas that you'll need to break down before washing them off. Brands offer various makeup removers, but if your whole budget goes on makeup products and tools, coconut oil is an excellent, affordable solution that will do the trick perfectly well. And it's good for your skin!
This all may seem overwhelming at first, so remember to keep practicing. There will be days when wings are not exactly the same, or your false lash keeps running away, and that's ok. Be gentle to yourself and appreciate each of the little accomplishments you achieve every time!
Keep shining bright,
D.